Chuck Hughes' Short Ribs Recipe

I've tried countless short rib recipes and nothing is more satisfying than running your fork through short ribs that don't require a knife ("fork tender").  The secret is at least 3 hours of braising (you should also reduce the braising liquid to a thick sauce).  I prefer to use boneless beef shorts ribs from Whole Foods (Butcher Counter) - they are meatier, the fat is marbled and not a quarter inch of glob, and I hate trimming the gummy cartilage from the bone (for presentation purposes at the end).  Here is my take on Chuck Hughes' recipe.  This is not my "go-to" recipe, but what I love about it is it taught me to experiment with different flavor profiles (his use of cocoa powder / star anise / cinnamon and his omission of chicken/beef stock).

Ingredients

3 - Onions (coarsely chopped)

3 - Celery (coarsely chopped)

4 - Carrots (Peeled, trimmed, & cut into 2 inch chunks)

3 - Garlic Heads (cut in half)

2 - Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (I prefer more than 2)

2 - Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (I prefer more than 2)

1 - Cinnamon Stick

1 - Star Anise

6 - Beef Short Ribs

2 - Bottles of Red Wine (I prefer Cotes du Rhone)

1 cup - Flour

1 cup - Brown Sugar

2 tbsp - Cocoa Powder

2 tbsp - Butter (unsalted)

Handful - Black Peppercorns

Kosher Salt

Canola Oil

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.  Add the rosemary, thyme, star anise, and cinnamon stick (and set aside).

3) Trim the ribs of excess fat (you wouldn't have this problem if you got them from Whole Foods), season with kosher salt, and dredged in flour.

4) In a dutch oven, pour in enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  On medium/high heat, add the ribs to the hot oil and sear them on all sides.  Remove the ribs and set aside.

5) Add the vegetables from the bowl and stir to caramelize.  Add the meat back to the pot and pour both bottles of wine over the top.  If the wine does not completely cover the ribs/vegetables, add water.

6) Add the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and peppercorns and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, cover with a lid, and put in the oven for 3 hours.

7) Remove the ribs, strain out the solids, and reduce the braising liquid by half to make a complex sauce.  Once the sauce is to your liking, add butter, and reheat the ribs in the sauce.